Meet the Authors of 42nd Street

Over a career spanning four decades, Warren wrote more than 800 songs. Other well known Warren hits included "I Only Have Eyes for You", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "Jeepers Creepers", "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)", "That's Amore", "The More I See You", "At Last" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (the last of which was the first gold record in history). Warren was one of America's most prolific film composers,and his songs have been featured in over 300 films.

*Harry Warren. (December 15, 2016). In Wikipedia. Retrieved December 15, 2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Warren.

Dubin was accepted and enrolled at Perkiomen Seminary in September 1909, but was expelled in 1911, after writing their Alma Mater. After leaving Perkiomen, Dubin got himself a job as a singing waiter at a Philadelphia restaurant. He continued to write lyrics and tried selling them to area publishing firms. During this time, Dubin met composer Joe Burke. Together they wrote the song "Oh, You, Mister Moon" (1911), which was published by M. Witmark & Sons.

In 1917, Dubin was drafted at Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island, and served as a private in the 305th Field Artillery of the 77th Division, known as New York's own. During his service, he wrote the song "They Didn’t Think We'd Do it, But We Did" with composer Fred Rath and published by the 77th Division. On his first weekend pass, Dubin went to see a show at the Majestic Theater in New York City. There he met Helen McClay. They were married on March 19, 1921, at the Church of St. Elizabeth in New York City, after Dubin converted to the Catholic faith and McClay was granted an annulment of her first marriage. The year they married, Dubin was accepted in ASCAP in 1921.

Known for his larger-than-life persona, Dubin struggled with alcohol and drugs, and fell on hard times in the 1940s. Estranged from his wife, Dubin struggled to find work both in Hollywood and New York. The last show Dubin was contracted to work on was Laffing Room Only, with composer Burton Lane. Dubin provided only a title for this production, "Feudin' and a Fightin'", for which he received 25 percent credit.

Dubin spent the remainder of the last few years of his life at the Empire Hotel, alone and in ill-health. On February 8, 1945, he collapsed on the street after having taken a large quantity of doctor-prescribed barbiturates. He was admitted to the Roosevelt Hospital for barbiturate poisoning and pneumonia,[1] and later died on February 11, 1945. Famed newspaper personality Walter Winchell made the announcement of his death on the radio.

MyronStuart Rubin* (Book)in Manhattan, Stewart attended Queens College, and graduated from the Yale School of Drama with a Master of Fine Arts in 1953.

His early work was writing sketches for the revues The Shoestring Revue (1955), The Littlest Revue (1956), and Shoestring '57 (1956, Barbizon-Plaza, New York) He then joined the staff writers of Sid Caesar's television program, Caesar's Hour.

He met Charles Strouse and Lee Adams in 1954, and several years after collaborated with them and Gower Champion on the 1960 Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie. He worked again with Champion and Jerry Herman, with their musical Hello, Dolly! opening on Broadway in 1964. Stewart died on September 20, 1987 in New York City. Jule Styne said of him: "He was an extremely talented and knowledgeable man of the theater. He was one of the great musical-theater writers, and his string of hits showed that. Stewart's sister was writer Francine Pascal.

*Michael Stuart. (November 21, 2016). In Wikipedia. Retrieved December 15, 2016, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Stewart_(playwright)

Mark Bramble (Book)has been involved in the writing, directing and producing of stage musicals all over the world. He began his theatrical career working as an apprentice in David Merrick's office in 1971, and for whom he worked on many Broadway productions. As author, his work includes the 1980 musical Barnum, which introduced Glenn Close as a musical theatre actress, with songs by Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart. He wrote the book for The Three Musketeers (1984) with music of Rudolph Friml.

He directed and was co-librettist for the 2001 revival of 42nd Street with songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubinand was the co-author of the book for the original 42nd Street in 1980, which was produced by David Merrick. He directed many productions of 42nd Street, in London, Sydney, Shanghai, Tokyo, Amsterdam and Vienna.

He has collaborated with Michael Stewart on many shows, including The Grand Tour (1978) with songs by Jerry Herman, Pieces of Eight, a musical adaptation of Treasure Island with songs by Jule Styne, and the off Broadway opera Elizabeth & Essex based on Maxwell Anderson’s Elizabeth The Queen, and was an assistant on the 1974 musical Mack and Mabel.

Bramble wrote the libretto and directed, with music by Henry Krieger, for the musical Fat Pig, which premiered at the Haymarket Theatre, in Leicester, England, in November 1987. The musical is a rock and roll extravaganza about health, based on the Colin McNaughton book about farmyard life and dangers. He adapted and staged Notre Dame (1991) at The Lillian Bayliss Theatre at Saddler's Wells, London.

He is a member of the Dramatist's Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers.

 Synopsis

Act I

Auditions for 1933's newest show, Pretty Lady, are nearly over when Peggy Sawyer, fresh off the bus from Allentown, Pennsylvania, arrives in New York City with valise in hand. Billy Lawlor, already cast as one of the juvenile leads, notices her and hopes to charm her into accepting a date with him. He informs her she has missed the audition but he can help her bypass that process, but choreographer Andy Lee has no time for Billy's latest conquest and tells her, "Amscray, toots." Embarrassed and flustered, she rushes off, only to run into director Julian Marsh.

One-time star Dorothy Brock, indignant at being asked to audition for a role, is reassured by Bert that he merely wants to make sure the songs are in her key. Despite his feeling she is a prima donna past her prime, he agrees to cast her in order to get financial backing from her wealthy beau, Abner Dillon. Outside the theatre, writer Maggie and chorus girls Anytime Annie, Phyllis, and Lorraine take pity on Peggy and invite her to join them for lunch and some advice. They encourage her to show them a dance routine that is witnessed by Julian, who decides there might be room for one more chorus girl after all.

Julian learns that Dorothy is seeing her old boyfriend, Pat Denning, behind Abner's back. Knowing this could destroy the show's future, he decides to put an end to the affair. A phone call to an unsavory acquaintance brings Pat a visit from a couple of thugs who convince him to break it off with her. The show's cast then departs to Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia, for the out-of-town tryout.

On opening night, someone bumps Peggy who trips and crashes into Dorothy, knocking her to the stage. Julian fires Peggy on the spot.

Act II

Dorothy's ankle is broken, and the show may close. The chorus kids, certain Peggy could fill the lead role, find Julian and tell him that she's a fresh young face who can sing and dance circles around Dorothy. He decides it is worth a shot and rushes off to the train station to catch her before she departs.

At Philadelphia's Broad Street Station, Julian apologizes to Peggy and asks her to stay and star in the show, but she responds that she has had enough of show business and wants to go home to Allentown. Dumbfounded, he tries to coax her with the words "Come on along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway..." After the cast joins him in the serenade, she decides to accept his offer.

Forced to learn the part in two days, Peggy is on the verge of a nervous breakdown when she has an unexpected visit from Dorothy, who has been watching the rehearsals and realizes that beneath her nervous exterior, Peggy is good, "maybe even better than I would have been." She even offers a little friendly advice on how to perform the last song, "About a Quarter to Nine."

The opening night curtain is about to rise when Julian, who is completely in love with Peggy at this point, stops by for a last minute lip-lock and pep talk in which he utters the now iconic line, "You're going out there a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!" The show is a huge success sure to catapult her into stardom. In addition, even though she is invited to and expected to attend the official opening night party, she decides to go to the chorus one instead. Julian is left alone onstage with only a single ghost light casting his huge shadow on the back wall. He quietly begins to sing, "Come and meet those dancing feet on the avenue I'm taking you to...42nd Street."

Directed by: Dr. Stuart Younse

Choreographed by: Kate Moran

Set Design: Michael Hunter

Assistant set design: Joshua Berman

Lighting design: Timothy Reed

Productions

Original Broadway

In June 1980, the musical premiered in out-of-town tryouts at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.[4] The musical opened on Broadway on August 25, 1980, at the Winter Garden Theatre,[5] and then moved to the Majestic and finally to the St. James, closing on January 8, 1989 after 3,486 performances and 6 previews.[6] (Frank Rich called this a sign of the "shift of power" on Broadway, as the show had to leave the Winter Garden to make way for Cats and the Majestic to accommodate The Phantom of the Opera.) The original cast included Jerry Orbach as Julian Marsh, Tammy Grimes as Dorothy Brock, Wanda Richert as Peggy Sawyer, and Lee Roy Reams as Billy Lawlor.[5] Replacements later in the run included Barry Nelson and Don Chastain and Jamie Ross who played Julian for the last three years of its Broadway run,[7] Elizabeth Allen, Dolores Gray and Millicent Martin as Dorothy,[8] and Lisa Brown and Karen Ziemba as Peggy. (Karen Prunzik, who originated the role of Anytime Annie, briefly played the role of Peggy when Wanda Richert became ill and her understudy abruptly quit the show.)[9] The show's designers, Robin Wagner (sets), Theoni V. Aldredge (costumes), and Tharon Musser (lights) were the same team who had designed the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line.[10] The original Broadway production is the 14th longest running show in Broadway history, as of September 22, 2015.[11]

However, the opening night triumph was overshadowed by tragedy. Following a lengthy standing ovation, Merrick went onstage and stated, "It is tragic...Gower Champion died this afternoon." He went on to explain that Champion died hours before the performance, "when he said that Mr. Champion had died, there were gasps and screams."[12] The producer had advised only Bramble of Champion's death and managed to keep the news a secret from the cast (including Richert, the director's girlfriend), crew, and the public prior to his announcement.[2]

42nd Street proved to be not only Champion's last show but Merrick's final success. Merrick lived until 2000, but, as described by Anthony Bianco, 42nd Street "was his last big hit, his swan song."[13]

This Tony–nominated wardrobe, designed by Theoni V. Aldredge, is on rotating display at the Wick Theatre and Costume Museum in Boca Raton, Florida.[14]

West End – 1984

The West End production opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on August 8, 1984.[15] The career of teenaged Catherine Zeta-Jones, a chorus member in the 1984 West End production, was launched when a vacation and an illness felled both the actress portraying Peggy Sawyer and her understudy when one of the producers happened to be in the audience. Zeta-Jones filled in and was impressive enough to be cast permanently in the role shortly afterward.[16]

San Francisco – 1985

A San Francisco production opened at the Golden Gate Theatre on February 19, 1985 and ran through July 20, concurrently with the original Broadway production.[17]

Broadway revival – 2001

Bramble revised the book for and directed the Broadway revival, with choreography by Randy Skinner (dance assistant for the original production). It opened, after 31 previews, on May 2, 2001 at the Foxwoods Theatre (formerly the Ford Center for the Performing Arts),[18] where it ran for 1,524 performances. The cast included Michael Cumpsty as Julian, Christine Ebersole as Dorothy, Kate Levering as Peggy, and David Elder as Billy.[18]Meredith Patterson, who made her Broadway musical debut in the chorus and was the understudy for the role of Peggy Sawyer, took over the role in August 2001.[19] Todd Lattimore, who had been a swing and understudy, took the role of Billy. Other notable replacements included Patrick Cassidy[20]and Tom Wopat as Julian[21] and Shirley Jones[20] and Beth Leavel as Dorothy.

UK Tour – 2007

The Broadway revival production, by UK Productions, toured the UK in 2007. The cast included Paul Nicholas as Julian for the first part of the tour, later replaced by Dave Willetts, Julia J. Nagle as Dorothy, Jessica Punch as Peggy, Graham Hoadly as Bert Barry, Shirley Jameson as Maggie Jones and Ashley Nottingham as Billy.[22]

Asian Tour – 2007-08

An Asian tour of the Broadway revival played major venues throughout China and South Korea, with an English–speaking company directed by Mark Bramble.[23][24] The cast included Paul Gregory Nelson as Julian, Natalie Buster as Dorothy, Kristen Martin as Peggy, and Charles MacEachern as Billy.

Regional – 2009

A production directed by director/choreographer Randy Skinner made its debut at the Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, New York on September 24, 2009 through February 2010.[25] A one-act condensed version played for several months at the Reno Eldorado Hotel, Reno, Nevadashowroom using recorded music track, closing in October 2009.[26]

Chichester and Leicester UK, 2011/12

A new production was staged for the Chichester Festival at the Chichester Festival Theatre in summer 2011. It was directed by Paul Kerryson with new choreography by Andrew Wright and starred Kathryn Evans as Dorothy and Tim Flavin as Julian. This production transferred to Curve in Leicester for the Christmas 2011 season (breaking all previous box office records for the theatre). Tim Flavin reprised his role, Ria Jones played Dorothy and Daisy Maywood portrayed Peggy.

UK Tour – 2012

UK Productions mounted a provincial UK tour of the show in 2012 with Dave Willetts reprising the role of Julian, Marti Webb playing Dorothy, Graham Hoadly as Bert Barry, Carol Ball as Maggie Jones and Mark Bramble directing.[27]

US Tour – 2015–16

A slightly updated version of the 2001 revival, revised and directed by Mark Bramble, began a United States tour in September 2015, opening in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 22. Matthew J. Taylor played Julian Marsh, Caitlin Ehlinger played Peggy Sawyer, and Blake Standik played Billy Lawlor.[28]

West End revival - 2017

On 5 August 2016 it was announced that a new production will begin previews from 20 March 2017 returning to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where the show had its original London production. Mark Bramble will once again direct.

* 42nd Street (Musical). (December 14, 2016). In Wikipedia. Retrieved December 15, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42nd_Street_(musical).

Information About 42nd Street

Producer David Merrick "took a huge gamble with his $3 million production based on the 1933 Warner Brothers film musical", as "only one other show had made the transfer from original movie musical to the stage -- 'Gigi,' a flop in 1974."[1][2] He felt audiences once again were ready to embrace the nostalgia craze started by the successful revivals of No, No, Nanette, Irene, and his own Very Good Eddie several years earlier, and augmented the familiar songs from the film's soundtrack with a liberal dose of popular tunes from the Dubin-Warren catalogue.[1] According to theater historian John Kenrick, "When the curtain slowly rose to reveal forty pairs of tap-dancing feet, the star-studded opening night audience at the Winter Garden cheered...Champion followed this number with a series of tap-infused extravaganzas larger and more polished than anything Broadway really had in the 1930s."[3]

Director’s Note

One of the responsibilities that we have as theatre educators is ensuring that students are exposed to a wide range of theatre from different periods, styles, and genres during their time at Simsbury High School.  As the creative team chooses a season, part of our decision comes from selecting material that may be new to the current student population; 42nd Street is just that.  Having produced Into the Woods last year, we felt that we needed to choose a musical that was in the tradition of musical-comedy.  We looked at several classic musical-comedies and landed upon 42nd Street.

Though the musical proper opened first on Broadway in 1980, it is based on a movie from 1933 of the same title.  The film included the same basic story and several songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin.  Certainly, the musical was updated in its present form but it is interesting to note that the film premiered in the middle of the Great Depression.  Upon its premiere, it was met with success including a Best Picture nomination. 

It makes sense that a musical such as 42nd Street would appeal to an audience from the Depression.  With its songs, tap dances, and formulaic storyline, audiences were able to forget about the struggle of  daily life and escape into a world of musical fun.  Likewise, having just completed a very long presidential race which has taken its toll on many, our 42nd Street also is meant to bring levity and enjoyment to both the company and audiences alike.

Many of our students will go on to perform in musical theatre either professionally or in community theatre as adults.  This type of musical-comedy is a mainstay of the repertoire and has provided our  students with the opportunity to tap dance, sing in a traditional Broadway vocal style, and perform in a more broad acting presentation than contemporary musicals.  Building these skills will help our students in their future musical endeavors.   We hope you sit back, relax, and enjoy our performance.  You may not leave with any great truth or heavy literary themes, but hopefully you will leave with a smile—and that is important!

Stuart Younse